


Evolution and Belonging

by jemionis travels (Jemixe712)



Series: 2018 Stony Fairy Tale Bingo [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fairy Tale Bingo, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fluff, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Lonely Tony Stark, M/M, Post-Avengers (2012), Pre-Slash, ignores everything after Avengers movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 07:59:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14160300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemixe712/pseuds/jemionis%20travels
Summary: Cap-Ironman fairy tale bingo fill -- The Ugly Duckling. Tony has spent his entire life feeling like he didn't belong. He was always too smart, or too fast, too young, or too much. It didn't matter if he was in boarding school or MIT, or Start Industries. Maybe he hasn't found his place in the world, the place where he can belong because he is not done growing and changing.





	Evolution and Belonging

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Tony who was too smart, too quick, too much for his parents. His father was jealous of him and his mother didn’t understand him. Tony was featured on magazines, cameras flashing in his eyes, people asking him questions, making his head spin. One day, the little boy decided he needed a break, so he packed a bag of snacks and tools, and Captain America toy, and ran away. He ran away from his parents’ mansion to a nearby playground. Tony plopped down on the swings to decide what to do next. Maybe he’d run away and find a different family, with nicer parents. But then he’d leave Jarvis, and all of his stuff -- his tools and his robots, and his machines. 

“Where are your parents?”

Startled, Tony gripped his bag and tensed in case he needed to run. He looked up at the speaker and saw a tall man, taller than Uncle Obie, wider too, and strong looking. He was wearing a uniform that was dark blue cargo pants and a zipped up brown leather jacket. He looked nice, but his father has frequently warned him that strangers may kidnap him or use him to get to the company. But this man looked familiar. 

“How about we stay here on the swings until you’re ready to leave? Then we’ll walk to the police station and call your parents. I’m sure they’re worried.”

Tony mumbled, “Dad’ll be angry that his day was interrupted because of me. Mom isn’t home right now. They’re not worried about me, they don’t even know I’m gone.”

The blond man nodded and pointed to an empty swing seat, “Mind if I sit down?”

Tony shrugged his indifference, but the man sat anyway, gently pushing himself with his feet. 

“My name’s Steve. What’s yours?”

“Tony.” He still looked at Steve suspiciously, but the man made no sudden movements or seemed to try anything. 

“Well Tony, we can stay here for a while, then I’ll take you home or to the police station. We can play on the playground until then. I’ll push you on the swing, and we can go on the see-saw and the merry-go-round.”

Tony turned fully toward Steve, getting excited. No one had ever played on the playground with him. He was having fun doing something other than making robo-dogs or working on his computer, or even helping his dad sometimes in his workshop. It was when he and Steve were on the merry-go-round that Steve asked another question.

“Why’d you run away?”

With all the seriousness his six years old self could muster, Tony said, “I’m looking for a place to fit in. My dad spends his time at work and when he’s home, he always yells at me or puts me down. My mom tries, but she likes her charities more. Jarvis says it’s because they don’t understand me. They’re talking about sending me to boarding school, but I’d be young there because it’s for big kids, but my dad says I’m too smart for regular school, and that boarding school would teach me how to not be a crybaby.”

Even as he answered Steve, Tony could feel tears forming and blinked them back. This is what his dad was talking about, he was too emotional, and crying, and his feelings got hurt easily, and he’d get scared of the dark. 

“I’m sorry to hear that Tony. It sounds like you’re a very special person, and that can be hard, being different. But it’s not a bad thing either. It just means that you are you and there is nothing wrong with that. If you just try to do the right thing, and always do your best, and you know it, Tony, no one can take that from you.”

Tony stopped the merry-go-round in front of Steve and stared. The blond man looked down in surprise and knelt in front of Tony. No one had ever listened to him like that before. Even Jarvis always said that fathers and sons sometimes just don’t understand one another. But Steve listened and didn’t dismiss him or just placate him. 

Tony threw himself at Steve, wrapping his arms around the man’s neck, even as Steve enveloped Tony in his own arms. 

 

At fifteen, Tony’s life was still an amalgamation of him being too fast, too young, too smart, too much. His parents had sent him to boarding school where the kids were all years older than him and the teachers didn’t know whether to like him or hate him. He was teased or ignored, or even used; for his family name, money, or for his brains. No one just wanted him. 

Even at MIT, he was the youngest and people didn’t know what to do with him. Most feigned politeness or interest. The only person who seemed genuine was Rhodey, who was two years older than Tony. Rhodey listened to Tony talk and asked questions. He seemed honestly interested in Tony’s bot, Dum-E and his other projects. He asked questions about Tony’s interests and what he thought his dad should do with SI. And when Tony pulled his pranks on the biology department, Rhodey was beside him, laughing and encouraging, and adding his own ideas. 

Tony’s first holiday break, Rhodey went home and Tony didn’t. SI was busy and that meant Howard was too. His mother was always busy during the holidays, and they both figured Tony was old enough that he didn’t need to go home for break anyway. It gave Tony extra time to work on his projects. If only to keep at bay how lonely he was. Even his parents didn’t want to see him for the holidays. The only other person at school was an old security guard who stole toilet paper from the supply closet, and a janitor who spent most of his time high.

One of the nights Tony was finishing up a binge, he walked back to his room from the lab. He barely remembered anything until a hand grabbed his arm and dragged him backwards. Between being suddenly grabbed, and a vehicle honking at his almost ran him over, Tony was jerked back awake from adrenaline. He’d almost been hit!

“Jesus, Tony. Are you alright?”

Tony turned at the voice, he recognized it. He half thought he’d made Steve up, but suddenly the man was there, still holding onto his arm very tightly. 

“Steve? Wait, you yanked me! You just saved me from being hit.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you were walking with your eyes closed. Are you okay?”

Tony slowly relaxed and nodded. He shivered as it was very cold in Boston, and snowy and was not dressed for the weather. Steve didn’t look cold, in fact, Steve didn’t look any different from what he did nine years ago. He was even wearing the same outfit. 

“Let’s get you inside, Tony, you’re turning blue and I’m concerned about your lack of shivering.”

“Yeah, my room is nearby. This way.”

When they go to Tony’s room, he was briefly concerned about the mess, but this dismissed it. He was allowed to have his tools out if he wanted, or his clothes. Or coffee cups. And Dum-E. And pizza boxes. He should probably clean. 

“Is this the robot you were telling me about? Tony this is amazing!”

He’d forgotten that he’d actually told Steve about his plans to build Dum-E. 

“His name is Dum-E, and he’s a learning bot. He got me on the cover of Popular Mechanics and Scientific American on my use of rudimentary AI. He let it get to his head though, when he knows he just a bucket of bolts and rusted metal.” Even as Tony said it, he knew he sounded fond and patted Dum-E arm. 

Steve was smiling fondly as he watched Dum-E. 

“Where have you been? How are you here? You randomly show up when I run away from home, and now when I almost get run over.”

Steve sat down on Tony’s (messy) bed, after just shoving some clothes out of the way. 

“I don’t know. It just seems like I’m here. And you’ve been in trouble both times, right? Maybe that’s it.”

Tony’s brow creased because that didn’t actually answer anything. 

“Tell me about what’s been happening with you since you decided to run away and find a new family.”

Tony did, realizing that a lot of the things he said were the same. His parents still mostly ignored him, he was still too young and to smart, and he still didn’t feel like he belonged. Except for Rhodey. He told Steve all about Rhodey. 

“I had a best friend named James, though he hated it because he said it was too common. Still, even when it seems like we don’t belong with the rest of the world, having a best friends can make that worth facing. Remember Tony, you don’t have to do things alone, you have someone who is willing to help, and who wants to help. That’s a special thing.”

Tony smiled a little, “Yeah. That’s true. Hey, let’s watch a movie. I love watching It’s A Wonderful Life.”

Steve nodded eagerly. Tony fell asleep just as an angel got its wings. 

 

Tony was 17 when his parents died, car crash, Howard was likely drunk. Tony was numb, even as Obie stood next to him, hand on the back of his neck, offering what comfort he could. Still, all Obie seemed to care about was the company, and how Tony couldn’t take the helm yet because he was still too young. And he should finish college, after all, his Doctorates in Engineering and Physics were great, but he needed his business degree too, and a Master’s would be preferable. That gave him just enough time to finish it before he could take over Stark Industries. 

During the funeral, Tony was positive he saw Steve, near the back, a shocked, almost horrified look on his face. 

 

Tony was 25, drunk in the bathroom cleaning up after a semi-pleasurable time with someone whose name he couldn’t remember. Rhodey was gone, military thing for a while. He was the Air Force liaison with Stark Industries, but he wasn’t able to spend all his time with Tony. They’d get in trouble, and probably not get as much work done as they should, locked away in R&D, playing with the machines and making things explode. Pepper was forever rolling her eyes, but she did smile when she came upon them. Then she’d harangue Tony into putting his tie and jacket back on and corralling him to a meeting, telling Rhodey she’d give Tony back after he got his chores done. He wasn’t feeling alone as much, but he still didn’t feel like he wholly belonged. He still felt separate, like he was not finished evolving? Growing? Changing? 

 

Tony was 38 and feeling alone and cold. He had a hole in his chest from which a light shone through. He had memories of a cave and blood and explosions and sand. He had the memory of a brooklyn accent talking to him in his fevered dreams, the memory helped him while making his armor to escape. He needed to remember to do the right thing. He’d use his differences, those things which made him too much, and wrap it around himself like armor, and use it to save the world. 

 

He was 40 and he was staring at Steve Rogers, Captain America himself. Only, he wasn’t wearing the outfit from Tony’s memories, and he seemed angry, and like he didn’t remember Tony. Maybe it all really was in Tony’s imagination. Still, Tony pushed it all aside, they had a city and a world to save. 

 

“So, shawarma. Pretty good.”

Tony looked up at Steve as he approached. They were on the helicarrier, making sure Loki was taken care of and the tesseract didn’t disappear again. Also, injuries, so Tony patched himself up Head wounds sucked, and he was sure his heart stopped for a second before Hulk roared. Everyone was injured except for Bruce, who was just tired. Thor was watching over Loki, while Clint and Natasha were doing whatever they do. They both took Coulson’s death very hard. Now he was in a conference room somewhere, looking out the window at New York City. They had a lot of work to do, but New Yorkers were up for it. They may complain about it, and bitch about it, and grumble, but everyone would pitch in and help. 

“Yeah, it was good. That guy is getting a huge tip. New Yorkers, even an alien invasion isn’t enough to interrupt their day much.”

Steve laughed, ran his hand through his hair, and looked down at his own feet. 

“Look, about what was said in the lab earlier…”

Tony held up a hand, “No, it’s fine. We can chalk it up to weirdness, and everyone being out of their depths, and the cube. I said some things too, if you recall.”

Steve sat down in one of the chairs and looked at Tony’s back. Tony looked at Steve’s reflection.

“Do you still feel like you don’t belong?

Tony whipped around and stared open mouthed at Steve, who was smiling rather sheepishly.

“I only remembered as you were falling from the sky. Which is ridiculous because you are a very unforgettable person. But, I remember meeting you when you were a kid, on a swing. Then when you were in college, and looking after you during your parent’s funeral, and when you were in the cave. I like to think I helped, which makes what I said earlier that much worse. Because if I had remembered earlier, I would have known better.”

Steve looked so worried and anxious that Tony moved closer and sat in the chair next to him, “You did help, Steve.”

“There were a lot of times I was present but you didn’t see me, and I don’t know why or how it happened. But we’re connected Tony, and I feel like you’re the only thing in focus. Everything else seems too new, and too fast, and too modern. But you, I know you and you help make things stand still for me.”

Tony was speechless. For his whole life, he felt like he never belonged, but Steve helped. Now, their roles were reversed. Movement caught Tony’s attention at the door and he saw the others, the Avengers. Maybe this was it, where he belonged. He needed to finish evolving and changing, he needed to become Iron Man and meet the Avengers, these other dysfunctional, messed up, selfless, heroes and save the world before he could find his place in it. 

Slowly Tony smiled at Steve and reached his hand out, taking Steves. He stood up, pulling the other man with him and walked to the door to join the others. 

“So, I have a big ugly building that has extra rooms that are shockingly still standing. We can all hang out there and decompress.”

“Sure, I’m in. It’ll be nice to be in the place invited for a change.” Clint was smiling broadly as he spoke. 

Natasha bumped his shoulder in fond amusement, then turned to Tony. “It would be nice for us all to relax in one place that is not the helicarrier. And I’m sure Bruce would like some clothes that fit better and aren’t torn.”

Still holding Steve’s hand, Tony hooked his other around Bruce’s shoulders and started walking, happy he may have finally found his place.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my last fill for the Fairy Tale Bingo prompt table, and I'm very happy with the fact I filled a line and wrote five stories. I hope everyone enjoys the story. 
> 
> Leave a kudos and a comment because I feed on positive reinforcement. Also come find me on tumblr jemionis-travels.


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